Pegboard game unit with utility compartment

ABSTRACT

A game has a combined pegboard and storage receptacle for the pegs with the pegboard being supported as an integral part of the top of the receptacle. A readily operable closure is provided for an access opening in the receptacle into which the pegs may be selectively inserted and removed for storage when not on the pegboard. The closure is preferably a slidable side wall which is flexible along its length so that an inturned U-shaped fastener at the end thereof clears the end of an adjacent side wall in moving between the open and closed positions.

United States Patent Burden 1451 Apr. 25, 1197' [541 PEGBOARD GAME UNIT WITH 2,017,501 10/1935 Howard ..273/153 .1 ux

UTILITY COMPARTMENT ,11 19 2,544,900 3/1951 [72] Inventor: Billy J. Burden, 3944 Magnolia, Colorado 2 712 93 7/1955 p g (3010- 80907 3,362,564 l/l968 [22] Flled' Sept. 1969 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle [21] Appl. No.: 860,502 Attorney-Ancel W. Lewis, Jr.

[52] 11.8. C1. ..273/l33, 273/136 K, 273/153 J, [57] ABSTRACT 220/41 A game has a combined pegboard and storage receptacle for s 1 1 1m. 01. ..A63f 9/06 the P with the Pegboard being Supported as an integral P [58] Field 6: Search ..273 14& R, 148 A, 153 J, 136 D, of the p of the receptacle A readily Operable closure is P 273/136 K, 133; 220/41; 235/90 vided for an access opening in the receptacle into which the pegs may be selectively inserted and removed for storage [56 1 References Cited when not on the pegboard. The closure is preferably a slidable side wall which is flexible along its length so that an inturned UNITED STATES PATENTS U-shaped fastener at the end thereof clears the end of an adjacent side wall in moving between the open and closed posi- 219,280 9/1879 Le Count ..273/l48 A tionsh 462,170 10/1891 Smith ..273/153JUX 753,420 3/1904 Mott ..273/153 J UX 1 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures P ATENTED APR 2 5 1912 -4 FIG. 5

INVENTUR. Bill y Burden A T TOR/VE Y PEGBOARD GAME UNIT WITH UTILITY COMPARTMENT This invention relates to games and more particularly to a pegboard type game unit having the utility compartment for the storage of playing pieces associated therewith.

Games of the type utilizing playing pieces such as pegs wherein the pegs are moved over the board surface in the play action and are removed from the pegboard during the course of play, have the problem of one or more pegs becoming misplaced during play or lost when the game is not in use.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a game unit which permits the removed pegs to be kept together until they are ready for replacement on the pegboard and also provides a readily accessible storage compartment for pegs associated with'a pegboard so that the entire unit may be readily carried on the person.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved pegboard game unit wherein the pegs are carried in a storage compartment formed as a part of the pegboard.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable and compact game unit having a combination playboard and receptacle with a readily operable closure to permit the pegs taken from the pegboard to be inserted and removed from the receptacle.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved closure for a game receptacle or the like which may be readily opened and closed with a minimum of user manipulation.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a I hollow body, the top wall of which forms the pegboard for removably supporting a plurality of pegs in the play action and the bottom and side walls of which join with the top wall to form a storage receptacle having a slidable closure wall covering an opening into which the pegs may be readily inserted and removed when not on the pegboard. A fastener for the closure permits it to be easily opened and closed during the sliding movement thereof.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present in vention will become more apparent as the description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game unit embodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a game unit shown in FIG. 1 with the pegs removed.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the game unit shown in FIG. 1 with the pegs removed.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the game unit shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 with two of the positions of the closure shown in dashed lines; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section view taken along lines 66 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a game unit in the form of a shell or hollow body 11 of a generally triangular shape with rounded corners. This body has a top wall 12 with a plurality of vertically disposed apertures 13 arranged in a triangular shaped pattern to removably support pegs 14 in an upright position thereby forming a playboard for the game. The body 11 includes a bottom wall 15 and a pair of upright side walls 16 and 17 affixed thereto on which a top wall 12 is supported and secured to form a storage receptacle. An access opening 18 is provided between the divergent ends of the side walls 16 and 17 and a pair of aligned channels 19 and 20 are formed in the top and bottom walls adjacent the opening 18 to slidably receive a closure wall 21 for the access opening. In this manner pegs l4 removed from the pegboard may be inserted into the opening 18 for storage in the receptacle.

The closure wall 21 has an intumed generally U-shaped fastener including a hook-like portion 23 at one end which extends around the end of the adjacent side wall 16 together with an inset bump or projection 24 disposed along the inner surface of the closure wall which are spaced so that the book and bump will engage the end of the adjacent side wall 16 to hold the closure wall in the closed position. The closure wall 21 shown is made of a flat pliable sheet of material so as to be yieldable or flexible along its length as best shown in FIG. 5. Short sections or portions are removed at 25 and 26 from the top and bottom walls along the channels 19 and 20, respectively, to permit the flat closure wall 21 to flex along its length and allow the inturned fastener bump 24 to clear the end of wall 16. The end of wall 16 is preferably rounded to conform to the general curvature of the inside of the hook portion 23 and the bump 24 is rounded along its inner side to facilitate the slidable movement of the bump over the end of the wall when moved in either direction. The closure wall 21 will normally be held in a closed, fastened position with the hook portion and bump being placed over the end of the wall 16. The opening 18 is exposed by moving the closure wall a selected distance so that the pegs may be inserted and removed into the receptacle. In the operation of the closure wall, it is flexed by applying an outwardly directed force to the end of the hook portion and/or may also be flexed by applying pressure centrally of the closure wall causing the hook portion and bump to bend outwardly. In this manner the closure wall 21 may be easily and readily opened and closed.

In the play action of the game normally all but one of the holes 13 are suitably filled with pegs l4 and the object of the game is to remove all but one peg by successively leapfrogging one peg from aperture to aperture over another peg. The intervening peg which has been leaped is then removed from the pegboard. Thus during play the pegs may be inserted into the receptacle through opening 18 as they are removed and further when the game is ended all of the pegs may be placed in the receptacle and retained therein until play is resumed.

Although a particular preferred shape of receptacle and form of closure is shown herein, it is understood that the shape may vary to a variety of box-like receptacles and the receptacle combined with playboard may have a variety of other forms of conveniently operable closures to facilitate the insertion and removal of the pegs from the receptacle when not in use on the pegboard. The entire body and closure is preferably formed of a plastic material and more particularly a transparent plastic material with the pegs being of bright colors so as to be attractive. One form of peg which is readily available is the golf tee.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that changes in details of structure and system components may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A combined pegboard and receptacle game comprising a hollow body of generally triangular shape having a top wall forming a pegboard with a plurality of vertical apertures arranged in a triangular pattern on the wall and sized for removably supporting a plurality of pegs to be selectively moved from aperture to aperture in the play action, and a bottom wall and pair of adjacent upright side walls on which the top wall is supported and secured to define a storage receptacle for the pegs when not on the top wall, said body having a side access opening between the divergent ends of said side walls through which the pegs may be selectively inserted and removed, said top and bottom walls having oppositely disposed U-shaped channels fonned adjacent the access opening, a thin flat flexible side closure wall for the access opening slidably arranged in said channels, said side closure wall having a fastener at one end including a rounded hook portion extending around a rounded end of one side wall and a transversely elongated bump along its inner surface inwardly of the hook extending substantially the full width of said side wall closure to engage the other side of said one side wall to hold the closure wall in the closed position, a substantial portion of the ends of the top and bottom walls along the outer sides of the channels being removed to permit the closure wall to flex along its length and throughout its lateral extent so that the bump will clear the end of said one side wall to move between open and closed positions with the channels being positioned to draw the portion of the closure wall between the hook portion and bump firmly against the end of said one side wall in 5 the closed position. 

1. A combined pegboard and receptacle game comprising a hollow body of generally triangular shape having a top wall forming a pegboard with a plurality of vertical apertures arranged in a triangular pattern on the wall and sized for removably supporting a plurality of pegs to be selectively moved from aperture to aperture in the play action, and a bottom wall and pair of adjacent upright side walls on which the top wall is supported and secured to define a storage receptacle for the pegs when not on the top wall, said body having a side access opening between the divergent ends of said side walls through which the pegs may be selectively inserted and removed, said top and bottom walls having oppositely disposed U-shaped channels formed adjacent the access opening, a thin flat flexible side closure wall for the access opening slidably arranged in said channels, said side closure wall having a fastener at one end including a rounded hook portion extending around a rounded end of one side wall and a transversely elongated bump along its inner surface inwardly of the hook extending substantially the full width of said side wall closure to engage the other side of said one side wall to hold the closure wall in the closed position, a substantial portion of the ends of the top and bottom walls along the outer sides of the channels being removed to permit the closure wall to flex along its length and throughout its lateral extent so that the bump will clear the end of said one side wall to move between open and closed positions with the channels being positioned to draw the portion of the closure wall between the hook portion and bump firmly against the end of said one side wall in the closed position. 